In love with a bunchof dead guys, and why

Caesar, Charlemagne, Justinian, Napoleon and Bismarck. These are just some of the men in my life. I know their stories, their backgrounds, ideologies and beliefs, even their failures. They inspire, infuriate and confuse. They keep me company in those lonely moments, and I want to get to know them more.

I’m a history enthusiast, a history teacher, a history learner. I’ve devoted much of my life to “the past,” exploring the triumphs and failures, innovations and stagnations of the world.

“What does it mean to be human?” I often ask myself. So I search the past for answers, patterns, anything to get me closer to understanding society and myself. Through these incredible men (and women) of the past, humanity’s story unfolds—and what an incredible story it is!

So how did I begin my love story with these dead men of long ago? My first love was a fictional man named Indiana Jones. After watching his adventures, my 11-year-old self knew that I had to learn more about history, and I did. My own adventures in history started off in college where my professors tickled my interests about Western history. I chose to learn more and left the country: If I wanted to know more about the world, I needed to see the world.

I studied the ancient Greeks, Romans and Byzantines, and devoted about two years of my life learning ancient Greek. Somehow I was good enough to advance into medieval Greek, a knowledge I’ve yet to use back home. Who converses in a dead language nowadays?

After acquiring my postgraduate degree, I felt that the world was my oyster and I could start leaving history behind and work in that corporate jungle where most of my friends were. I held positions in both the creative and corporate worlds, but there was always something missing, something bothering me and telling me that where I was wasn’t where I was supposed to be. My passion to learn about humanity felt stifled in an office setting and kept struggling to be free. So I quit and decided to teach.

I always thought that teaching would be something I would do much later on. I jumped off the corporate ship and I regret nothing. Today, I teach history (from the ancient to the modern world) and I share the stories of these men that I love.

“What is history and why do we study it? What is history for?” It’s not an easy task to convince disinterested persons (students or not) about the need to study history or why it matters. And so I ask myself what it is about history that keeps me wanting to know more. In short: It’s great to be human.

The story of humanity is intriguing and exciting; it shows us what we can achieve, create and destroy. Napoleon, for example, moved up the social ranks from a Corsican nobody to become the emperor of France, conquering much of Western Europe in a short amount of time. Behind all the glory and conquest, however, is a man just like any other. He was a man in love, and his letters to Josephine show a much gentler romantic than the hard-core commander he is mostly known for. For all his glory and military triumphs came also failure: Napoleon reached too far as he tried to conquer Russia, and flopped. In losing Russia, he lost France as well, living his last days in exile on a small Atlantic island, where his last words were “France, armée, tête d’armée, Joséphine (France, Army, Head of the Army, Joséphine).”

Sure, Napoleon’s time was different, but is his story nonrelatable? Today, ideas of conquest are still pursued by the likes of certain radical movements, but I’ve also witnessed those who rise above their social standing and who continuously strive for a better life, and I’ve met people who fight every day for the ones they love.

This is why I love the men (and women) who have shaped the world. Their lives were different, yes, but their choices, reactions and expressions are similar to ones I make. Through their stories, I can learn about what it takes to succeed and fail and make a decision to forge my own path.

History shows the limitations of man and the consequences for hubris, but history also presents the ingenuity and strength of humanity and how people can survive even the harshest conditions. I’ve studied stories of survival from the world wars where soldiers became brothers and victories meant finding some coffee. I’ve read about the fight for equality amongst social classes and religious differences, the abolition of slavery and the passion for women to have a say in the world.

The past may be a foreign country, but it is relatable. That’s what I teach my students. In the stories of the men and women from a bygone time, I find pieces of myself fighting and thriving in my own little battles. Just as Caesar made the monumental decision to cross the Rubicon and carve out his name as a great Roman leader, I, too, take risks for growth and discovering what it means to be “great.”

History is not just about dates, names and events to remember; it’s the whys and hows that matter. Why was Charlemagne great? Why is Justinian one of the best leaders of the Middle Ages? How did they do it? Studying their lives provides some answers to my own questions today. And what have I learned from these men of the past? That I am just one of many in this world, but I can effect change.

Why do I love these men? They teach me how I can create impact in the world, even in a small way. After all, history isn’t about understanding humanity for myself, but understanding humanity for all. Now, isn’t that a love worth fighting for?

Ria Sunga, 28, teaches Western history at Ateneo de Manila University. One of her advocacies is to raise the youth’s level of interest in the study of history.